Boys’ basketball: Serra, Centennial fans need to set alarm clocks

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The opening Southern Section championship game on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Honda Center is the 3A final between Gardena Serra (29-2) and Compton Centennial (25-5). The players are going to need a 6 a.m. wake-up call, and who knows what time their fans need to get up.

It might be the second-best game of the day behind Santa Ana Mater Dei and Etiwanda, but that’s life with so many games to fit in at the Honda Center. Somebody has to go first.

A warning to all the teams playing at the Honda Center: If you think you’re going to win by simply making three-pointers, you’ll be leaving disappointed. I’ve seen prolific three-point shooters in high school struggle in championship games because of the different background and larger dimensions.

Serra Coach Dwan Hurt said his team has been focused on working on its inside game, with 6-foot-9 Jordan Mitchell, a Cal State Northridge commit, and 6-8 junior Ronnie Stevens.

-- Eric Sondheimer